


Growing Fonder

by defenderoflandkind



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: (s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Ambiguous Relationships, Developing Relationship, Everyone Is Gay, Growing Up, Multi, Nonbinary Marquis de Lafayette, Not Beta Read, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Trans Aaron Burr, Trans Alexander Hamilton, Trans Character, Trans James Madison, this is going to be a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-08-28 19:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8459236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defenderoflandkind/pseuds/defenderoflandkind
Summary: When Alex was 16 he went to live with the Washington's. Sometimes he wishes that he knew what he was getting into when he didn't get kicked out that first month. (In which the relationship of the rev set throughout the years is investigated through long paragraphs and way too many words. Well, that is once we meet them all)Reading Hard To Handle first is not required, but recommended for context in later parts.[ABANDONED, SORRY :(]





	1. Chapter 1

Alexander was 16 when he was told that someone had offered to take him in until he graduated from high school. Upon inspecting the sheet which his social worker left on his desk by accident he saw that he was going to be living with a family called the Washingtons. 

From the information in the file he could conclude that he was staying with a middle aged couple named George and Martha and their adopted daughter, whose name was too illegible to read. After squinting at the scratched out print for a minute the teen could only make out an A for the name and what looked like a small F next to the word sex. 

After putting the paper back in its place so that he would not get yelled at, Alex moved back to his bed, where he pulled out his phone to resume reading the story he was on before his social worker came in to speak with him. She had told him to pack up his things so that he would not be rushing tomorrow when they had to go meet his new family, but he figured that there was time later. It was not unusual for the boy to be forced to attend lunch before he was finally sent home with the people who were keeping him, so he thought that he wouldn’t be that rushed if he got up at eight tomorrow to pack. Not that being rushed would be a bad thing in this case. 

As Alex finished reading he started to wonder about his future guardians. Would they be total homophobic assholes? He wasn’t sure he could handle living in a house full of bigots for two years. Willing the thought away he began pondering his sibling situation. It was not that he hadn’t lived in a house with siblings before, but instead that the experiences he’s had have varied substantially. 

Looking back on houses with more children, he realized that houses with one child or more than four were significantly more frustrating to live in than others. Kids who are the only child of people rich enough to bring in another kid are usually spoiled, and any number of kids above four is just too noisy. Alexander hated stereotyping the people he was stuck with, but he thought that since his new foster sister was adopted she’d be less likely to be prissy and entitled acting. Though you never know with people.

Finishing his train of thought Alex clicked away from the story he had just finished, moving on to his “to read” list. Just as he was about to start the next story on his extensive list the door to his temporary bedroom creaked open to show the tall and skinny woman who was watching over him until tomorrow.

Rushing towards the desk which was littered with papers detailing who knows what, the lady grabbed her folder, shooting him a glare. Speaking in a hushed tone she told him that he needed to pack up, and threatened to take his phone away so that he can get things done. Not wanting that to happen. As soon as his social worker shut the wooden door behind her he heaved himself out of the bed and moved to his desk.

Alexander had a folder which lied on the corner of his desk. It was meant to hold any of his papers which were not for any particular topic, but in reality all it had in it was a few unused envelopes and a pad of stickers he bought to seal his letters to Eliza when the adhesive doesn’t hold. Shaking his head lightly he pulled all of the unimportant pages into a pile, tapping them gently against the desk so they fell neatly into place. He placed the decently sized stack on the folder and grabbed the pages which made up an unfinished letter to his pen pal off the top, setting it separate from the rest of his things. He’d have to finish it tonight so that she knew he was moving and wouldn’t send anything new to the wrong address. 

After the assorted papers were in a safe place Alex moved to sit down. He thought that he’d have enough time to finish packing after he wrote. Picking up a pencil he began writing anything that came to mind. Eliza had always told him that he had a magnificent mind and just needed to get out his thoughts, so that is exactly what he did when he wrote his heartfelt letters to her. He didn’t know how he would have survived the last few years if he wasn’t set up to be pen pals with the girl when he started middle school. 

The time seemed to pass 3pm Floridian summer rainstorm and by the time he had finished the third page, and by extension the letter as a whole, it was almost eleven. His social worker always gets on his case when he stays up late the night before meeting his family. Slipping the group of papers into an envelope and pressing a dog sticker to the edge of the flap he snuck down the stairs. Asking the lady watching over him for the address to his new residence, he wrote down a return address and excused himself to walk out to the mailbox. Upon his return he went to go prepare for sleep.

Pulling his scratchy blanket over himself the room fell into silence, excluding the soft music eluting from the speaker built into his phone. It was to drown out his thoughts so he wasn't up all night. As he shut his eyes his mind started to wander. Maybe the Washingtons would finally be a group he could call his family?

He couldn't help but have his doubts.

 

\---

 

The shrill sound of the tune which he set as his alarm hit his ears harshly. Kicking the sheets off of him Alex stretched, grabbing his phone. The large numbers said that it was nine. Perfect.

Alexander moved to stand up, his bare feet hitting the carpet. First course of action, get dressed. He hated being seen in his night clothes. Everything about such an experience seemed wrong to him, so despite his drowsiness he heaved himself up and made his way to the bathroom. 

After completing a short shower and getting dressed in his nice clothes, he checked the time once more. It was only nine thirty, so he figured that he would have time to eat a quick breakfast before he was forced to pack. Practically tripping down the wooden stairs Alexander rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl of cereal. 

“Did you finish packing yet, Al?” A smooth voice spoke from behind him. Alex turned slowly, seeing his social worker sitting in front of the TV. She was watching the news, a bowl of cheerios in her lap. As the cereal finished pouring out of the box and into his bowl he grabbed a spoon and walked over to sit by the lady.

“Not yet,” He responded simply, shoveling a spoonful into his mouth. He could see his guardian cringe, still not used to his tendency to eat way too fast. She stood up, walking to the kitchen to wash out her bowl.

“Well you better get on it. You must be out of your mind if you think you’re going to be able to wiggle out of this one by not packing, youngling!” She scolded, turning on the tap. Alexander groaned, but continued eating. He knew she was right, but it’s not like he would admit that fact. 

Finishing up his meal, Alex cleaned up after himself before heading back up to the room which was his for about three more hours. Now was the time to prepare for lunch, and that is not just physical preparation.  

After initially balling up the few sets of clothing he has and throwing them in his rugged suitcase and finding that it didn’t all fit he poured everything from his closet on the bed. Popping up YouTube on his phone he looked up how to pack efficiently. Grabbing a shirt, a pair of his underwear, and a set of socks he followed the first method, eventually ending up with six rolls of assorted pieces of clothing. Finally everything fit in the small bag, even his spare pair of shoes. To finish off his bag he threw in the folder of his writing, his phone charger, and all self care necessities he had gotten when he moved in here. Everything he had lying around was packed up, and all that was left was his box of keepsakes and a binder full of letters from Eliza.

Just as Alexander pulled the final box out of his closet he heard a knock on his door. His social worker opened it, stepping inside the now bare room.

“Are you almost ready? It’s almost twelve and we are supposed to meet the Washingtons in twenty minutes,” She spoke firmly. Alex’s eyes widened as he glanced at the clock on his nightstand. Sure enough it was eleven fifty five. He must have completely lose track of time in between his complaining and making more of a mess to clean up. Recovering from the initial shock he mustered up a flash of a smile.     

“Um, I think so. Could you help me take my stuff out to the car?” At his words the woman grabbed the handle of his suitcase, taking it down the hall. Alexander followed, the large cardboard box full of things from his past in his hands. 

As the two of them made their way to the white van which they would be riding in to their destination Alex glanced back at the house they were leaving behind. It wasn’t anything impressive, but he couldn’t help but feel like he was leaving something important behind. Chalking it up to nerves, he slid his box into the trunk of the car and went to sit on the passenger side.

The ride to the restaurant was boring, as usual. He just stared absently out of the window, watching as the buildings whizzed by. Alex was always nervous during these rides. So much depended on this encounter, and that was a lot of stress for the teen.

They were going to a mom and pop pizza shop that was only a few minutes from his previous residence. Their food was good, but the only times he had been their previously was when he was going to a new house, so his experiences in the building were never extraordinary. It was in that small room where the pizza was served that he had met his first foster family, but it was also where he would meet the one that would hopefully be his last. God, he didn’t even process the fact that these people were supposed to watch over him until he was of legal age. Now he knew this wasn’t going to go well.

When they arrived on the street which held the pizza shop, his social worker drove to the parking lot for the block. It was lunch time, so Alex would have expected it to have been busy, but that was before he remembered that it was a Monday. Despite the fact that it was the middle of summer, no working aged adult would be out and about just yet, so as long as they stayed out until after the lunch rush there shouldn’t be much traffic. As the woman beside him pulled into the lot he watched as she looked around, presumably searching for the car of his new foster parents. She was always so organized.

After pulling in next to a large blue car, the social worker parked her car, allowing Alexander to hop out. As he walked around the car to join her on the side closest to the sidewalk she ruffled his short hair, speaking to him in a comforting tone.

“Hey kiddo. I know you’re nervous, but you’re going to be alright. The Washingtons have a great record, so it won’t be a repeat of last time,” Oh yeah, he had almost forgot. The last family he had been assigned to was not only super religious, but also republican. You can imagine just how well it went when someone mentioned the upcoming election. He was out of the house in less than a month. Alex reached his hand up, fixing his hair, and pulling on the jacket which he had forgotten to put on before he had gotten in the car. If he was doing this he was going to need his familiar jacket. For moral support.

The walk from the car to the shop was brief, so Alexander found himself testing how long he could hold his breath. Maybe if he passed out he wouldn’t have to meet the Washingtons today. As his hand found a metal handle, he realized that it was too late to fake his death, and he would actually have to meet these strangers which have offered to take him in. Stepping through the door frame he pulled down his hood, glancing around the small shop.

Despite his negative previous experiences, he had to admit that the building was homey. The walls, a pale green, made him feel a bit more relaxed, but not as much as he would have hoped to be. As his eyes scanned the restaurant he found only one table occupied, and by a family of three nonetheless. Hurriedly he looked at his social worker, hoping to see a bit of a frustrated expression, as would be there if his foster family was not present. Sadly, that look was not present. Instead the look on the lady’s face was wild with excitement. Alexander could have choked out a sigh, but he suppressed it. 

His social worker walked towards the table in the corner which was occupied, leaving Alex behind. He watched as she walked up, speaking to the man sitting at end of the booth. He stood as she approached, holding out a hand to Alexander’s social worker. Alex made his way slowly towards her, making sure he was always slightly out of view. As he reached the social worker’s side she placed her arm on his shoulder, looking down at him.

“Al, this is Mr. George Washington. He and his wife, Martha, will be watching over you from now on,” She told me. Alex looked up at who he now knew as Mr. Washington. Standing at only 5’7”, Alexander felt tiny next to the tall man who stood before him. He watched as a sophisticated smile crossed the man’s face.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Alli-”

“Alex. Alexander Hamilton, nice to meet you sir,” He interrupted, panicking slightly as he heard the feminine nickname left the older man’s lips. Mr. Washington looked down at him curiously, blunt shock evident on his face. His social worker’s grip on his arm tightened a little, showing she was frustrated with the boy, smiling broadly.

“Sorry about Al. The kid has convinced herself that she can just change her name whenever she wishes,” The lady excused him, causing Alex’s content smile to turn into a scowl. Not wanting to make a fool out of himself, he opted for a scathing remark that could be taken as a joke rather than what he wanted to say. 

“Sorry about Mrs. B. The woman has convinced herself that she can just choose what name I want to use,” He responded, his frustration evident in his voice. Instead of Mr. Washington’s face changing to one of malice, as he had initially expected, his confusion changed to a look of amusement. Alexander couldn’t describe it, but he felt the look was trying to tell him that he was going to fit in. Once the social worker finished glaring at him for his rude comment she had a seat by the Washington couple, leaving Alex to wander over to the kid sitting across from the adults. This must be the adopted child the paper had told him about.

They were dressed in a royal purple jacket, a pair of studded earrings which made them appear a little intimidating. Paired with the frown on their face and the intense glare they were sending their phone Alex almost didn’t want to sit beside them. There was nothing about them that would make Alexander think that his original prediction on his foster sibling being a girl was correct. He was about to compliment their haircut, which although it was simply shaved really suited their facial structure, when he saw a piece of white fabric peeking out from under their jacket. 

At first he chalked the fabric up to a shirt, but soon his overthinking nature set in and he started to theorize about it. Was it a binder strap? That would definitely explain the F on the paper, and the fact that it was scratched out. He sat down beside his new sibling, tapping them gently on the shoulder. They looked at him, a slightly startled look on their face. 

“Hey! I’m Alex! Who are you?” Alexander spoke excitedly, holding out his arm for a handshake. The person in front of it took it hesitantly, shaking it in a single, firm pump.

“Aaron. Aaron Burr,” They responded simply. Alex decided that it would be best to use masculine pronouns for them until instructed otherwise. 

“Aaron Burr, sir!” He chirped, excited at the rhyme, earning a soft grin from the boy in front of him, “How are you doing? Do you mind the sir? I don’t want you to hate me already-” Aaron stopped the rapidly speaking boy by placing his arm on his shoulder.

“I’m doing alright, Alexander. And I do not mind the pronouns. Thank you for asking,” He replied. Alex launched into a speedy conversation, blabbing about various topics until a man in an apron came out a placed their pizza on the table. As soon as everyone had a slice Mr. Washington looked at Alexander, ready to start small talk.

“So, Alex, what do you like to do?” He asked, picking up his slice of pizza.

“Well, I really like to write. And that’s not just fiction, I also enjoy writing opinion pieces and letters, as well as stuff for my blog. Although I haven’t been able to due that recently, because I don’t have a laptop and I lost my library card,” He ranted, waving his arms to express himself as he spoke, “I also like to read, mostly nonfiction. I like to learn as much as possible,” As he completed telling the family about himself Mrs. Washington nodded, a friendly smile occupying her face.

“That’s good, Al! Our family as a whole tends to enjoy learning, so I’m sure you’ll fit right in,” She supplied, “Did you know that both my husband and I work at Columbia University?” Alex’s eyes widened at the name of the college.

“I’m sorry?” He replied, wondering if he had heard them correctly. Did his foster parents work at the college he hoped to go to? 

“Yes we do,” George continued, “I specialize in the English department, and Martha is the principal. Is this a problem?” Alex shook his head rapidly.

“No sir, I was just surprised. I’ve wanted to go to Columbia since I’ve started looking at colleges!” He emoted, prompting a fond smile from Martha, as if she was wishing him luck.

“Well I’m sure if you work hard you’ll make it with your genuine love for learning,”

The group continued on in comfortable conversation, although Alex was doing most of the talking. He could tell that his foster parents were surprised that he had opened up so soon. He didn’t want to break their surprise by telling them that he just liked talking, so he rambled in between bites and debated even the little things.

It didn’t take long for everyone to finish lunch. Once they had paid and all remaining pizza was boxed away the elder Washington's turned to Alex and Aaron. 

“Are you ready to go?” George asked, placing his hand on Alexander’s back. He nodded in response, looking at his new family.

“I’ll go grab Al’s stuff…” Alex’s social worker said, excusing herself to go to the car. The family, not wanting to wait, followed, letting Alexander join them as the walked the block to the lot where their car was parked. Sure enough it was the blue one which the social worker had parked by. Somehow in the minute she was left alone the lady had pulled everything that was his out of the car and placed it on the concrete by the navy blue vehicle. When he approached she gave him a kiss on the head, told him to be good, and took off.

Everyone loaded into the car, and Alex, although not squished, instantly felt uncomfortable. The smell and music was foreign, and a little scary. Luckily, Aaron started a conversation about music with him. He figured that his new brother had noticed his discomfort. He seemed like the perceptive type.

The car ride was longer than the one to the shop, but it felt much shorter once he grew to like the car. It was a nice ride, and although it was frightening at first the seats were ten times more comfortable than the ones in the white van.

Soon enough the car pulled up to a large, tan house. Alex could feel his jaw drop as he looked up at the building, surprised at the size. He wasn’t expecting the Washingtons to live in such a nice home. When the vehicle slid to a stop George spoke up from the front seat. 

“Welcome home, Alexander,”

He was starting to believe that he hoped that statement was true. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this thing I'm starting! I'm actually writing this for NaNoWriMo, so hopefully posting this will allow me to keep up with that. 
> 
> I don't know exactly how many chapters this will be, but if things go as planned it will be 50,000+ (yikes) words so buckle up this is going to be a bumpy ride.
> 
> Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexander arrives at the Washington house and starts to adjust.

If the house looked large from the outside it must look ginormous from inside the front door. Aaron must have saw the strange look on Alexander’s face, coming up beside him to put a hand on his back.

“You get used to it,” his new brother commented. Alex could accept that. Everything took a bit to get used to, so the huge house must not be much different, right? Soon the door shut behind him, Martha coming to a halt beside him, his bags in her hands. She handed him the cardboard box.

“I'll carry the suitcase, but I don't want to drop this,” she explained, taking off towards the large staircase. Alex watched as George abandoned the group, walking in a different direction from his wife. Al decided to follow Martha. Maybe she was leading him to his room?

As he followed the short woman in silence he noticed that Aaron had tagged along. When they had reached the top step he took over as a tour guide for the new resident.

“Here's mom and dad’s room,” The Burr said calmly, pointing to the first door, “And the second one is the guest room,” As they walked down the hall he pointed out his room, the bathroom, and the laundry room before they finally reached the room which was assigned to Alex, “And here's your bedroom,”

Martha leaned towards the door, hand grabbing the handle and turning. The door opened to show the largest room Alexander had ever stayed in. There was a dark coloured desk against the wall by the window and bookcase featuring an extensive collection of high school aged and higher books. A dresser with a mirror sat by a door which he assumed lead to the closet and on the wall which was otherwise empty there was a queen sized bed, dressed in blue sheets. 

Alex watched as his foster mother walked towards the bed, pulling his suitcase onto the mattress. After her hands were empty she looked around, surveying the room, obviously satisfied with her work. Martha turned back to the two boys who were standing in the doorway, an energetic look on her face. 

“It's ready! So, what do you think?” she asked when she saw Alexander’s blank look. His face shifted to a grateful smile.

“It's perfect,” he responded, “Did you design the room yourself?” As he spoke he made his way to the desk, dropping the cardboard box he had carried up the stairs on the wooden surface. At his question Martha laughed gently.

“Oh, no! George does all of the designing in this house! I just helped him assemble the dresser and bed frame. Those are a pain to put together, even with two people,” She dismissed herself from the room, saying she was going to go grab the welcoming gift George and her bought. Alexander was left with Aaron for the first time. An awkward silence covered the room before Alex attempted to relieve it. 

“So,” He said, unzipping the suitcase and grabbing out his spare pair of shoes, “What’s it like? Living here I mean,” At his words Aaron looked up, walking over to assist in making his brother’s room. His face showed that he was weighing his words carefully, but not trying to lie.

“Interesting,” He settled on, pulling out the top pair of jeans, “I didn’t expect to like it here, but the Washington’s are super nice, so I have no complaints,” He walked over to the dresser, opening a drawer near the top and sliding the jeans inside, “Wait, that’s not completely accurate. I’ll complain about how long the halls are. You’ll probably have some problems with that.” 

“Ah, that’s fine. My sense of direction needs some work anyway,” Alex joked, getting a laugh out of his companion. Due to his lack of clothing the two finished in good time, and Martha came back into the room just as they finished, a brown parcel in her hand. 

“Here we- did you finish unpacking already?” she asked, surprised at the speed in which they were able to unpack. At Alexander’s nod she just sighed, “We’re going to have to go shopping for you soon. Your bag was super light, so I doubt you have many clothes…” With that she handed the package to the boy, her semi frown changing to a smile. 

“What’s this?” Alex asked, picking it up so he could look at the bottom of it.

“Just a few things that we thought you’d like,” Martha responded, leading him to the bed. As he unwrapped the gift she commented on the contents, “The stationary set is from me, since Mrs. Barcell told me you like to write letters. George got you a fleece blanket. We all have one with our initials, so that’s why it says ‘AH’ at the bottom. And last, Aaron got you a candy tin, which has an assortment of chocolate treats from Reese’s to Cookies, to his favorite, Pocky.” When all of the objects were out of the packaging he smiled at her, thanking the two of them who were still in the room. Soon Martha excused herself, leaving the kids alone once more. 

“Do you want to go meet the dogs?” Aaron asked, causing Alexander’s face to light up.

“Dogs?!”  

 

\---

 

In the backyard, which is encased by a tall picket fence, there is shed. You would expect that this small building would be for storage at first, but that was until you saw the covered dog door built into the wood of the side of the structure. 

Aaron led his new brother to the building, explaining the purpose of the building.

“They aren’t usually kept out here, we just didn’t want to overwhelm you,” He spoke, hand fiddling with the key on the door to the shed, “We keep this shed out here so that when it rains the pups won’t freeze if we didn’t bring them inside in time. It happens,”

The door was slid open, and from the dark of the structure three sets of eyes peered at the duo. A few seconds passed before a set of three dogs jumped up, running over to Aaron. One jumped up at him, while a second licked his hand. The third bored of the familiar person quickly, turning to the stranger after a short greeting. Alex bent down, holding his hand out to the pup. 

The dog was short, and looked vaguely like a young German Shepard. Alexander wasn’t sure about the breed, but he did know that the dog was adorable. He watched excitedly as the animal hit its nose against his hand, inviting him to pet it. Once the two dogs which had swarmed Aaron had calmed down the boy turned to his new brother. 

“That’s Cloe,” Aaron told him, walking over to pet her behind the ears, then pointed to the  other two one at a time, “And those two rascals are Lewis and Clark,” 

“They’re very cute,” Alexander said, getting a laugh out of his companion. The boy leaned over to give the small dog a hug. Alex could tell that she was Aaron’s favorite. 

The two stood there for a while, talking about the dogs and playing with them. They probably would have been there all day if they weren’t interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. It was George, a bag of feed in his hands. After pouring some food in the bowls on the ground he turned to Aaron and Alex, a smile on his face.

“I should have known you’d be here,” He commented, looking fondly at his three dogs, “Aaron has been showing people the dogs first since a week after he arrived here,” Aaron blushed at his father's words, looking down. Alex laughed, resuming petting Cloe, who was still at his feet.  

“I can hardly blame him,” At his response George looked back up at him, grabbing the bag of food off of the floor at his feet.

“Would the two of you mind going shopping now? We should probably pick up a few things for you, Alex,” He asked, opening the door behind him with his foot. Aaron and Alex nodded, surprisingly in sync. 

“That would be great,” They spoke, looking at each other after their words and dissolving into a fit of giggles. George smiled at his two sons, satisfied that they were getting along.  

 

\---

 

“See you later, sweetie,” Mr. Washington exclaimed, leaning over to give his wife a kiss on the cheek. She laughed, returning the bit of affection. Alex, looked away, a little embarrassed to be watching this exchange. Once the couple had finished George grabbed the keys to his car from the counter. As the trio walked towards the door of the house they heard Martha call out to them.

“Have fun, boys!” She yelled, continuing whatever she was doing at the time. Once the door was shut behind them George led the way to the blue van once more. He took the driver’s seat, the kids sitting in the back despite the fact that either one of them could have taken the passenger side. As they all buckled up Mr. Washington took the opportunity to ask Al a question.

“So Alexander, do you know how to drive?” He questioned, turning the key to start the car. Alex hummed, preparing an answer.

“Nah. I never had time to learn. It’s not like I want to anyway,” He said, fiddling with the end of his jacket sleeve. George pulled out of the driveway, turning right onto the road. When the radio was turned on and adjusted to a low volume he continued conversation.

“We’ll have to teach you at some point. We wouldn’t want to send you into the world without knowing how to drive. Though since we are in New York, if you move to the middle of the city you should be fine,” He commented. Alexander nodded at that, forgetting that the older man couldn’t see him.

Conversation fizzled out there, Alex zoning out when he starts surveying the area. He never went to this end of the city, so it was a new experience for him. Soon enough they pulled into a parking lot not too far from the mall. 

When they first arrived at the shopping center Alexander was immediately overwhelmed. He’d never get used to shopping. It had been a source of anxiety since he was little, due to money problems, and when those stopped his image issues were on the rise. He looked to Mr. Washington, who was leading the way to Aeropostle. Walking into the familiar store he stayed behind Aaron and George, still nervous about shopping. Mr. Washington walked off in the direction of the boy’s clothing, but stopped at the edge of the racks.

“The two of you can go look for things you want, I’m going to look around the mall for something I forgot to grab last week,” He told them, “Just call me when you’re ready to pay,” With that he started towards the exit, not even waiting for Alex’s thanks. When he was out the door Aaron turned to Alexander. 

“So what do you like to wear?” He asked, gesturing to the rows upon rows of clothing surrounding them. At Alex’s shrug he started towards the back, heading for a rack full of jackets, “You seem to like that jacket, but it’s looking kind of ratty…” After routing through the group of jackets Aaron pulled out two, a red and a green one, holding them in front of Alexander. Alex grabbed the green one, pulling it close to him to check the price tag. When he saw the numbers decorating the piece of paper he had to resist dropping the cloth.

“Fifty dollars?” He exclaimed. Aaron raised an eyebrow at him, slipping the red jacket back onto the rack.

“Before discounts, but yes. I was the same way when I was first put in the Washington’s care, but they can pay for it. They get a double Ivy league professor's salary, you know,” He responded, stopping Alexander from returning the piece of clothing. He geared the short boy away from the jackets and to a shelf covered in folded up tee shirts. Alex looked at his new brother skeptically as he picked out a few shirts to match the jacket. 

After a few minutes Alexander had a pair of jeans, a jacket, a handful of tee shirts, and a few pairs of socks and underwear. In addition to that he would have had a pair of shoes if his feet weren’t so tiny. Aaron made a note on his phone to ask his dad if they could get the boy a new pair of shoes, ignore Alex’s pleas for him to forget it. Once Aaron was satisfied with the amount of clothes his companion was hauling he called George, telling him to come and get them. 

 By the time Mr. Washington had reached the shop, a bag in his left hand, Aaron had run off to grab one last thing for himself. When the older man walked over to them he gave them both a smile.

“Did you find everything you need?” He asked, looking at the pile of clothing in Alex’s hands with an amused look. Alexander goes to answer but is beaten to it by Aaron.

“Actually, we found everything but a pair of shoes. His feet are a half a size smaller than the tiniest pair they have,” He explained, pointing to Alex. His brother looked at the ground, a little bit embarrassed. George’s smile remained as he pulled out his wallet, escorting the two of them over to the counter. 

“Well, I guess we’ll have to go look for shoes, won’t we?” Mr. Washington replied, smiling at the cashier who took their items and started to scan them. Alex watched as the number on the digital screen rose, settling at a number right around $300. As George went to swipe his card, he moved to stop him. 

“Hold on, I don’t need half the stuff up here. Please let me put something back,” He said, earning a frown from his foster father.

“Alex, you have four tee shirts and a jacket. You need this,” He responded, swiping the card just slow enough for it to register, “And there’s no need to worry. Both Martha and I work at a college which had been known for paying their professor’s exceptionally well,” 

Once George had payed for their new clothing the trio went across the mall to a shoe store. Alexander, still a little shaken up from how much money they had spent at the previous stop, opted for a cheap pair of nike sneakers that happened to be on sale. Shopping at the shoe place had gone a lot faster than at Aeropostale, probably because, in Mr. Washington’s words, Aaron ‘would have a whole closet full of shoes if he could’ and was not bought another pair. The cashier at the shoe store rung them up, handing them back to Alex, who proceeded to put them on, an old habit of his.

When they had existed the store George checked the time. Martha had texted him while he was absent, informing him that she was making dinner and that they should not get something while they’re out. Since it was only four, and the food shouldn’t be done for another hour, the group decided that they should go to the Starbucks that was in the mall for snacks and drinks. 

The three of them left the mall at roughly four thirty with a drink and a snack each. Aaron offered Alex a bit of his chocolate croissant, which he gratefully took, but not before handing his brother a bit of his muffin. Never having been to Starbucks before, Alexander was a little dazed. He had only heard rude comments about people who went to the coffee shop, but the bakery products and coffee was pretty good.

“Do you guys go there often?” He asked when they were in the car. Aaron nodded at his question, but George was the one who finally answered.

“Yeah, I think we do. It’s Martha’s guilty pleasure so we just kind of end up there when we are out and want some coffee,” He said, pulling out of the parking lot. Alex supposed that what he said made sense. It was pretty good coffee. 

After a few minutes the house came into view. Mr. Washington parked the car once more and the three of them got out, walking to the back of the vehicle. Each one grabbed something, Alex getting stuck with his large bag of clothing. They walked to the front door. George pulling out his key to unlock it. 

The first thing Alexander noticed when the door was open was the strong and delicious smell radiating from somewhere deep in the house. He didn’t recognize it at first, but soon caught the scent of meat sauce. He must had hummed in content because Aaron walked over behind him and started talking to him.  
“Mom makes the best bread sticks. I could honestly eat just them for dinner,” He told Alex, “But the spaghetti is good too,” Alexander nodded and made his way to the stairs. As hungry as he was it would be best to take the new clothing upstairs before going to investigate.     

Hurrying to put all of his clothes in the closet before going to eat dinner, he made a small mess, telling himself that he’d fix it after dinner. He went downstairs and started the search for the kitchen. It wasn’t as hard as he thought it would be, considering the fact that no one had showed him where the room was. He’d have to thank his good sense of smell. When he walked through the door to what must be the kitchen he saw the Washington couple putting the finishing touches on the pasta. Martha must have heard him walk in because she turned around when he came to a stop by a large cabinet.

“Hey Alex! Do you mind helping Aaron set the table?” She asked, looking at him quickly before turning around, “And you can take of your shoes in the doorway if you want,” He gasped lightly, a little embarrassed that he had forgotten to take them off, and rushed to get rid of them so he could help out. Grabbing the silverware he followed George’s pointing finger to the room to the right, where he found Aaron placing plates on a large table. 

“So do you guys have a specific way you put out silverware?” He asked, looking around the neatly set table. Aaron looked up, giving him an odd look.

“Not really. George will probably rearrange his when he gets here no matter what you do, but otherwise no one really cares,” He responded, moving off to the kitchen once more. 

Alexander took the time to have a look around the room. The table had enough seats for eight people, despite the fact that there was only three people living in the house before he had joined them. He figured that they were a super prepared family, because if you ever have guests you’re going to need a larger table. 

Finishing inspecting the table he looked to the walls, where a few framed photos hung. All of them had George and Martha, as well as a few other people, including a kid who had a head full of curly hair, who showed up a lot along with two people who Alex assumed were their parents. They didn’t really look that much like the adults though, so he could be very wrong.

One last thing that stood out to him was a painting which hung behind the head of the table. It was of a nature scene, and looked like it was created from the top of a hill overlooking the beach. He was about to inspect it closer when Martha came in, a large serving tray full of food in her arms. When she saw Alexander looking at the framed painting she smiled.  

“Ah, so you like the painting? A family friend got it for George and I when we got married. We haven’t taken it down since,” She spoke of the incident fondly. Alex nodded in understanding, watching as the woman laid the tray on a stand that was stationed in the center of the table. 

Martha told him to sit down in the nearest seat, sitting down across him. After a few moments had passed George and Aaron had walked into the room as well, each holding two cups. Mr. Washington went to sit by his wife, handing her the larger of the cups before having a seat. Aaron walked over to Alex, setting a cup full of water by his plate.

“I hope you like water,” He said, mostly to himself, making Alexander laugh.

“Well you’re in luck, because I do,” He replied. Mrs. Washington smiled at the two boys, moving forward to serve the food. Soon Alex had a large spoonful of spaghetti and two breadsticks decorating his plate. He thanked her, picking up a breadstick and taking a large bite.

Alexander’s first thought was that Aaron was right. Martha’s homemade breadsticks were the best. He could have cried when he took his first bite. It was so good. He must have had a physical reaction to the wondrous taste because he heard laughter surrounding him.

“You alright, son?” George asked, watching him intently. Alex felt his face flush as he nodded, looking down at the remaining bit of breadstick. Dinner resumed after the slightly awkward incident, and conversation was soon underway. They talked about the shopping trip and Alex’s previous schooling experience, and soon they were taking their dishes to the kitchen. 

“Thank you for your help. If you have any trouble adjusting here, just come and get me,” Martha told him. He thanked her as well, moving to sneak off. Just as he was about to walk up the stairs he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Can I talk to you, Alex?” George questioned from behind him. Alexander turned around, nodding. Mr. Washington sighed, sitting down on the steps beside his foster child. 

“I forgot to ask you earlier, when you first introduced yourself to us,” He spoke, and Alex instantly knew what he was talking about, “Uh, I hate to be blunt about this, but are you trans? It’s alright if you are, Aaron is as well, but we just need to know,” Al looked down, shaking his head slightly, to show that George was in fact correct. His foster father made a noise of approval, thanking him for letting them know. 

As Alexander retreated up the stairs he heard George speak from behind him.

“Have a nice evening son,” 

He was starting to think he could grow to love it here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just some mandatory locational developments! We should have 2-3 more chapters that take place before college, and if all goes well Laf should be officially introduced next chapter! I'm ecstatic!
> 
> I love Martha Washington so much you can not believe. She isn't even in the musical but she's amazing and needs more love.
> 
> If anyone wants to talk about my headcanons for this verse feel free to comment. I love talking about my own work more than I should. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one should be up in a few days. I expect that most chapters should be 3-4k words, so if it takes a bit it's because I'm trying to stick to that guideline. 
> 
> I hope you all have a wonderful day!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex meets Lafayette for the first time and things do not always go as planned, just as things usually go with Alexander.
> 
> In that case I suppose in a twisted way things did go to plan. It's weird how things work out.

It took Alex a while to get used to living with the Washingtons. The house they lived in was huge, so he had to memorize the layout, which had taken him a few months, and he was definitely not used to having access to so much money. And George and Martha had so much personality compared to the people he had stayed with previously, and overall were a lot nicer. It was especially nice having a sibling about his age who had been through similar things. They were both orphans, trans, and definitely not straight, as Alexander had discovered when he had accidentally looked through his brother’s search history. That was a little awkward.

The best part only came to his attention a few weeks into living with the family. It was late July and they had already started going back to school shopping. The two were going into their senior year of high school, due to the fact that Alex had finished the courses offered to Juniors previously and the school didn’t have any classes higher than the ap ones offered to Seniors, and Aaron had skipped two years when he had started in the district a few years prior. Alexander had learned when they started shopping so early that Martha searched for deals instinctively, because of past money issues. He was fine with it, though if he had to admit it he’d say that he was more than just ok with it. It was familiar, using large amounts of coupons to lower the total from eighty dollars to a mere eighty seven cents, unlike shopping without having to worry about spending too much. And that is why George had surrendered shopping to his wife, who did not hesitate to take the two boys out to the nearby office supply stores.

After a particularly rewarding shopping trip, Martha getting the both of them full stationary sets and a backpack each for less than five dollars, the three of them arrived at the house to George running around, making sure that things were in a nice order. Martha walked over to him, recognizing the panicked look on his face. When consoled he took a deep breath, looking at his wife lovingly.

“Sorry dear, it’s just that Lafayette is back from France, and knowing them they are probably going to visit and I suddenly became aware of how messy this house is,” He explained quickly. Martha giggled at him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He visibly calmed down at the gesture, looking at the floor.

“Darling, it doesn’t matter that much, Laf could walk through this house after a tornado has torn it apart and say nothing,” She spoke, moving away towards the kitchen, “What you should worry about is making sure that there’s enough food for three hungry kids,” Al watched as the woman disappeared, George right on her heels, turning to Aaron once they were both out of sight.

“Lafayette?” He questioned, looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Adopted child of an old family friend. You’re going to love them,” Aaron told him, waving a hand dismissively, “I could text them and asked if they plan on coming over if you want to prepare?” Alexander nodded, and his brother pulled out his cell phone, opening his messages. He watched intently as the boy sent his friend a text. After a few seconds the phone buzzed, alerting them of a new text. Once Aaron had checked it he held up his phone to show the text.

‘Already on my way, should be there soon!’ The simple message read. Alex looked at his companion, a little nervous.

“I’m going to go upstairs,” He spoke carefully, ”Text me when your friend gets here,” As soon as he finished his sentence he took off.

Alexander wasn’t the type to get nervous about social encounters. He loved to talk and was in no way shy, but this person seemed to be one of his foster brother’s pals, so he didn’t want to mess it up for him. If Alex got in a fight with this Laf guy he could ruin a lot of things. He assumed he was safe in a few regards. This person was friends with Aaron, meaning they can’t be a total transphobe, so at the very least he’d be respected. And if he had heard his sibling correctly Lafayette went by they/them pronouns, so they may even be trans themself. There are so many variables he didn’t even want to worry about.

After a few minutes he got a warning text from Aaron, saying that Lafayette was outside. Hesitantly he made his way downstairs. He was almost to the living room when he heard the door behind him open.

“Aaron, I’m home!” A loud voice yelled from behind him, before being replaced a gasp. Alex turned around to see a tall person with curly hair tied up into a ponytail and the nicest cardigan he had ever seen in his life, “Wow, _tu as de très beaux yeux_. Please turn back around so I can fall in love with you once again,” Alexander’s face flushed red as he heard amused chuckles from behind him.

“Laf, leave the poor boy alone. You probably scared him with your French,” Aaron said, coming up beside Alex. The person who was standing just inside the door, now identified as Lafayette, let out a hearty laugh, moving up to greet Al.

“Hello, stranger. My name is Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Gilbert du Motier Lafayette, but you can call me Lafayette,” They spoke, a broad smile stretching across their face at the look which Alex had on his. Alex took notice of their strong French accent, and incredibly French name, zoning out for a brief second. It was very pleasant on the ears, he thought simply. After he had recovered from the initial shock he introduced himself as well.

“Alexander Hamilton, it’s very nice to meet you,” Laf’s eyes lit up when he said his name.

“So you’re the famous Alexander Hamilton! It’s good to finally put a face to a name. Aaron has spoken of you, but don’t worry, it’s only good things,” Laf winked, giving him a pat on the back before wandering off towards the kitchen. As they walked off Alex caught the scent of what could only be Lafayette’s perfume, or cologne, but he assumed it was the first choice because it smelt kind of like vanilla.  He turned to Aaron, eyebrows up in a questioning manner.

“Are they always so..?” He trailed off, unable to find the words to describe the person who had just walked past him. Aaron nodded, a slightly sorry smile on his face.

“Overbearing? I suppose you could call them that,” He responded. Alex shook his head slowly, watching as Aaron left to follow his friend. As he stood there, still processing what this Laf character had just done, he started to replay the last few minutes.

This Lafayette person had just stormed into the Washington’s house like they owned the place, proceeded to compliment him, his eyes nonetheless, and just leave him here gaping. He wasn't one to let first impressions rule over him, oh wait he totally was, but they may actually be someone he could get along with. Alex worked his way to the kitchen, listening intently to the conversation going on ahead of him.

“George! Still working those dad jeans, I see? For a skilled home designer, your clothing matching abilities definitely need work,” Alexander heard Laf say as he was finally able to see the group. Martha laughed at their comment, moving swiftly across the room to give them a hug.

“It’s great to see you Laf,” She said, squeezing their guest tight. Lafayette let out a small giggle at that, which Alex couldn’t help but smile at. They just seemed to capture his attention, like they were the only star in a cloudy night sky. Alexander looked away, a little embarrassed that he was already waxing poetry about someone he knew nothing about. As he stood there overlooking the scene he watched as Lafayette turned around, looking him straight in the eye.

“Alex,” They started, and Al almost fell to the floor, “Maybe we could be friends?” Alexander looked down at their bluntness, nodding as if it was truly a question he could answer. Before he could vocalize his thoughts Aaron began to speak.

“I’m sure we could work things out,” He added, earning a sharp laugh from Martha.

“You make it sound like it’s a business offer!” She joked, “But you kids run along. Dinner will be done in an hour!” As soon as she said that Lafayette took off, leaving Aaron and Alex to trail behind them. They teased the two boys as they barreled up the stairs, Laf only a few steps above Alexander. When they reached the top floor Aaron went into his room with their guest, leaving Al to wait outside cautiously. After a few second his brother poked out his head, looking at him with a soft smile.

“You can come in, you know?” He said gently. Alex nodded, thanking him silently as he walked through the door. He was a little overwhelmed, due to the fact that he had never been in his sibling’s room before, but soon he came to realize that being overwhelmed was the least of his problems.

The first thing that he noticed when he entered the room is how _Aaron_ the decor was. With walls painted a deep maroon, a mahogany desk that was completely clear of unfiled paper, and a neatly made bed. Well, what was a neatly made bed for two seconds before Lafayette had jumped on it and ruined that. Aaron gave them a pointed look, but did not say anything rude. Alex could tell that he really didn’t care that much. He watched as Aaron joined his friend on the bed, inviting Al to have a seat as well.

“There’s more than enough room,” Laf slurred absentmindedly, waving his free hand through the air. Alex examined them, stretched across the bed in a disorderly but somehow neat fashion, and decided that they were in fact correct. The mattress could most definitely fit one more person, maybe even two if they were all cuddling. A little reluctantly he had a seat on the edge of the bed. After a few moments he spoke up, trying to break the silence.

“So, Laf, what are your pronouns?” Alex spoke, slightly awkwardly. He looked at Lafayette, a smile stretching across his face as he watched his companion’s face light up. He could tell from their expression that they weren’t asked that question often. Alexander could definitely relate to that.

“Thank you! My pronouns are they, them, their!” They beamed, “And yours, my soon to be friend?” Alexander couldn’t help but grin at that. They were so excited and radiated a ton of positive energy. It was kind of adorable. He blushed lightly, waving his hand as he answered.

“He, him, his, thanks for asking. Are you going to go to our school this upcoming year?”

“I should be. Are you ready?” Lafayette spoke, moving their hand to grab another pillow. The one they grabbed happened to be under Aaron’s head, causing the boy to flounder off of the pillow which was aggressively yanked away from him. Alex suppressed a laugh.

“I’m more than ready! I’m getting restless not having anything to do,” He emoted, his hands moving expressively. Lafayette’s eyes widened as Aaron rushed to explain his foster brother’s words.  
“He’s kind of an overachiever, you see,” He concluded, earning a nod from Laf, “Though I cannot complain, seeing as I am myself,”

“Of course you are, Mr ‘I skipped two grades but that doesn’t mean anything,’” Lafayette said, sarcasm dripping from their words. Aaron snorted at his friend.

“It’s not just me who skipped a grade,” He replied. Laf glanced at Alex, who nodded. He saw no point in lying to his new friend, nodding in agreement. They slumped back, lying down with their hands over their eyes.   
“Am I surrounded by a bunch of genius’?” They emoted. Aaron made an odd noise at the offhand compliment.

“I wouldn’t call us that,” Lafayette snorted

“What do you like to do, Alexander?” They changed the topic, smiling at the short boy. Al looked at him, reaching for an answer to their question.

“Um, well I like to write, read, and learn,” He spoke slowly, if trying to remember his answer, despite the fact that he had just arranged his answer.  
“Teachers must love you,” Laf rolled their eyes. Alexander wouldn’t say that. Teachers actually hated him most of the time. Sure, he did all his work, but he’s abrasive and tends to talk over people. And to top it all off the whole ‘hi please don’t assume my pronouns’ email he sent to teachers before the beginning of the year was not always viewed favorably.

“Ah, I wouldn’t say that,” He replied, looking away. Hopefully that would adverse them from asking him about it. Laf hummed.

The three of them continued their conversation, eventually switching from interests to watching a movie. Alex was a little relieved that he was not asked much about his past, but was still curious about Lafayette. Aaron has said that they are adopted, so they must have an interesting story to tell. Ignoring his drive to ask their companion about their past, Alexander changed his attention to the film which Aaron had chosen.

After very little debate Laf and Aaron had come to the conclusion that they should watch _Heathers_. Alex, who had not seen the film before, decided not to argue. The way that Lafayette had excitedly explained the movie made it sound interesting, so there was no point.

As _Heathers_ got underway Alexander resisted talking over the film. He had always been the type of person to theorize about specific elements of a movie, so it was frustrating. A few minutes into the movie he felt the bed shift as Laf moved forward to reach his side. When Al didn’t respond to their movement they leaned in to whisper something in his ear.

“What do you think about J.D.?” They hissed, causing shivers to run down Alex’s spine. He leaned backwards, ending up almost in his new friend’s lap.

“I am concerned for his future. I doubt he could lead to much good,” He responded, trying to keep as quiet as possible. He didn’t think that Aaron would like them to be talking the whole movie. Knowing him that was probably one of his pet peeves.

“You’ll have to see,”

When Lafayette made no attempt to move Alexander let himself fall back into their lap. It was more comfortable than sitting up on the bed, and if they weren’t complaining he wasn’t either. As things started to get interesting Al began tapping his fingers on his arm in frustration, finally giving up on containing his reactions when a gunshot echoed through the room.

“This is ridiculous! How did Veronica not see this coming?” He exclaimed, sitting up with a start. The second the words had left his mouth Aaron hissed at him.

“I can’t hear the movie,” His brother said, before hearing a ding coming from his phone. Picking it up tiredly, Aaron turned on his phone. When he had processed the message which he had received he looked at his companions.

“Well, hearing the movie isn’t much of an issue anymore, seeing as dinner is done,” He spoke slowly and deliberately, as if trying to give Alex the impression that his words were scathing. The three of them stood up, sliding off the bed. Laf offered their hand to Al as he went to stand. He took it, smiling gratefully. Aaron took the lead as the trio rushed down the hall to the stairs. Just as they were about to make their way down the stairs Alexander snagged the unrolled ends of his jeans on a cabinet in the hallway, falling with a yelp. On his way down he hit his chest and head on Lafayette’s leg, knocking his breath out of him.

As he layed on the floor, dazed, he heard a soft thump beside him, amplified by the pain. He would be over it in a second, he just needed a few seconds to recover from the shock, he told himself. Alex’s companions didn’t know if he was ok though, so he would have to make it quick. Wincing at the quickly dulling pain in his chest as he goes to move he breathes in deeply, just making sure that he can do so, he blinks away the tears which are starting to form on his eyes. He didn’t notice that he was wheezing until he started trying to take less shallow breaths.

When he began to breathe properly he started to register the calm hand running through his hair. He leaned into the comforting touch, using it in an attempt to cure the anxiety which came with an injury. Soon enough he was able to focus on something other than breathing and sat up, turning his head to see who was next to him. Laf was sitting, their legs crossed, by his side. Alex looked around, seeing Aaron absent. Probably ran off to get either George or Martha. Al choked out a sigh, leaning into Lafayette.

“Again,” He whispered, feeling their chest bob as they laughed at his whining tone. They continued running their fingers through Alexander’s hair, assuming that his complaint was on the absence of their hand. After a few seconds of silence Laf started to giggle. Alex hummed, looking up at them, as if questioning the noise.

“Falling for me already, I see?” They joked, making Alexander blush. He brought his hands up to his face, laughing breathlessly behind them. The two of them sat in comfortable silence, Lafayette continuing running their fingers through their companion’s hair, as if they thought he would fall over again if they stopped. A few moments passed before they heard the creaking of the stairs as someone ran up the steps at an alarming speed.

“Lafayette?!” A loud voice yelled from down the hall, “Alexander?! Are you still alright?!” At the noise Laf shifted their weight, causing Alex to sit up a little. They cuffed their hands around their mouth, shouting a response to who Al barely recognized as Burr.

“We’re ok! Alex is a little dazed, but he’ll be fine in a few minutes,” Lafayette explained, earning an affirmative humm from their companion. After Aaron responded with a simple ‘alright’ Laf looked at Alexander expectantly.

“We should probably head downstairs,” The boy admitted, looking around, unable to focus on one thing. His companion nodded, standing up slowly. They offered a hand to him, mirroring their actions from earlier. When they were both on their feet Lafayette held onto Alex’s arm to support him. He was still a little absentminded and unsteady from the incident. He had forgotten how much simple injuries take out of you.  

“Be careful,” Laf spoke gently, their hand still firmly rested on his upper arm, “We wouldn’t want you to fall again. Then you would miss dinner,” That’s right! Martha was making food! Alexander blushed, embarrassed that he had forgotten about the food, but continued on. After a few minor setbacks the duo made it to the bottom of the stairs, Lafayette releasing their new friend’s arm when they reached the first floor. When Al showed no signs of wobbliness they leaned away so that he wouldn’t feel like they were being overbearing. Alex looked at his companion affectionately, a small smile finding a way to his face.

“Thanks a lot,” He said genuinely, causing Laf’s face to light up and a light blush to find it’s way to their cheeks. They rubbed their arm, looking around so they wouldn’t have to look him in the eye.

“It’s no problem really,”

With Lafayette at his heels Alexander made his way to the kitchen, where Martha had set up two plates with grilled cheeses on them. Al thanked his foster mother, but Laf asked if they could get theirs in a tupperware bowl. When asked about it they said that it was about time for them to go home.

“Leaving so soon, Lafayette?” George spoke from the corner, where he was hunched over the granite counter, a grilled cheese in hand. Laf smiled at him, shaking their head in confirmation.

“I must get going. I only came over because I couldn’t resist seeing my favorite family once more,” They said, walking over to the cabinet which all of the containers were stored in. They pulled one out, bringing it over to Martha, who moved the grilled cheese from the plate to the box. Once the food was safely stored Lafayette said goodbye to the family, giving out hugs to anyone who didn’t have anything in their hand. Just as they were about to walk off Alex offered to walk them out.

The two of them made their way to the door in silence. There wasn’t much to talk about, at least nothing that could be resolved in less than a minute. Once they had reached the exit of the building Laf turned to Alex, a grin on their face.

“It was great meeting you, Alexander,” They beamed, leaning in for a hug, which the boy returned easily. He seconded the statement almost as quick as it was spoken. As they pulled away Lafayette gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, moving out of the house almost faster than Al could blink, but not before handing him a rolled up slip of paper.

As the door shut in front of him Alex felt his hand move to rub the spot which his new friend had kissed him. He felt foolish doing the small gesture, but it was almost automatic. This Laf person was super charming and just seemed to know how to work a room. Alexander thought he could grow to like them as a close friend, despite his questionable initial feelings. Before making his way back to the kitchen Al looked down at the little sheet he had been given.

He couldn’t believe that it had only taken him an hour to get Lafayette’s phone number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the wait between chapters, I was too emotionally drained from the election to write more than 100 words a day (I swear I'm all over the place. 5,300 words a day one weekend, 100 the next). I'm back now and unless if November gives us something else significant to be worried about then I should be here for awhile.
> 
> So Lafayette is finally here, and despite their actions in this chapter they will not be getting with Alex for another 3-4 years. It's painful, yes, but trust me. I think these things take time, but I am no expert (tfw no bf/gf/so). Anyways, there should be 2-3 more chapters until COLLEGE, where we meet John then Hercules. I'm way too excited for this, but we have a year more of high school before we can get to the fun part. Joy.
> 
> THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO  
> -Angry emails to administrators  
> -Applying to college ft. Does having the principal as my foster parent give me an advantage?  
> -Gross domestic Martha and George  
> -Bonding ft Aaron and Laf  
> -Alex's 17th birthday  
> -Aaron's 16th birthday ;)))  
> -Probably at least one crisis
> 
> If any of you are interested in my headcanons (or would they be canons since I'm writing it?) for sexuality/gender in this series hmu. I always enjoy talking about who my characters are, and since my individual texts aren't working anymore (I cry) I can't send them to my friends without annoying a group chat.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are having a wonderful day!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron attempts to help Alexander with his "non sleeping habits," George talks to his new son, Alex writes an email, and the family attends a party. All in less that 5k words.

It had been a while since a summer had passed quickly for Alex. Usually he was bored out of his mind from the lack of school work, resorting to take courses on a language he would never need to speak or writing an entire paper on why someone from the past was most likely gay. It was nice to have the free time, but it gets old a few weeks in. Besides, when would he ever need to know how to say “good night” in Welsh? It’s not like he’s ever going to visit Wales.

He figured that because he was moved so early in the summer the new atmosphere had kept him busy. In the three summers prior to his one with the Washington’s, as in the ones where he did not have a permanent residence and was passed around like a dinner plate, he was moving so often he resorted to not exploring his new surroundings. His record number of houses moved in one summer is five, from early June until late August. He doubted he’d ever be able to try to beat that number, though it’s not like he would want to. 

“Alexander?” A quiet voice from behind him said, making him jump. He turned around in his swivel chair, cringing at the squeak it let out. Aaron was standing in the doorway, looking at him with questioning eyes. Alex smiled wildly, switching tabs as if it were second nature, looking at his brother expectantly. 

“Oh hey, Burr. What are you doing up?” He asked, placing his fist on his chin. Aaron raised an eyebrow, moving over to him. 

“I’m getting a drink of water, but I think that question is better suited for you,” Alex couldn’t help but agree with the boy. He was working on a writing piece at god knows what time. He should probably figure that out.

Alexander checked the clock on the family computer, a little surprised that it was past three in the morning. He didn’t think that he had gotten that wrapped up in his work. He wasn’t even doing anything important, just reviewing an essay he had written the week prior on some dead guy with a basic name who just so happened to be the first president of the USA. Come to think  of it he couldn’t recall what had inspired him to write this. How odd.

He must have been staring at the screen blankly because he heard a laugh from behind him, rusty from sleep. Al turned back around, looking at Aaron, who had his head in his hand. His brother wiped his eyes as he looked up, an amused look on his face. 

“You should probably get some sleep,” He commented. Alex looked at his new companion shocked. How dare he come down here just to tell him to get some sleep? He looked from Aaron to his work, rubbing his eyes when he found he couldn’t see the words as well as he used to be able to do. Maybe he was a bit tired.

Noticing the look on Alexander’s face Aaron helped him off the chair before starting towards the kitchen. Al followed him like a lost puppy as his exhaustion finally started to get to him. Aaron fixed himself a cup of water, making Alex one as well. When the boy had the glass in his hand he looked down. 

“I didn't realize it was so early,” Alex whispered absently, causing Aaron's laughter to resume. His brother placed the cup he was holding down, presumably finished, walking over to where Alexander was. When they stood side by side Aaron adjusted the blanket which was thrown over Al’s shoulders.  
“I figured as much. Come on,” Aaron grabbed the cup from Alex, who’s hand followed the glass as his brother poured the remnants of the drink into the sink. Once the container was empty Aaron turned back to Al, grabbing his arm to lead him upstairs. The short boy stayed uncharacteristically quiet, too tired to think let alone speak.

When the two reached Alexander’s room Aaron lead the boy inside, stopping in the entrance. Alex walked a bit forward, heading towards the bed before his brother spoke up.

“Did you take your binder off?” Aaron asked. Alex shook his head, quietly thanking him before taking his shirt off to remove the article of clothing. His companion looked away, not wanting to stare at his foster sibling while he was changing. Alexander grabbed a night shirt from his drawers, pulling it on, before moving into his bed.

“Goodnight,” Alex mumbled, tucking himself into bed. Aaron returned the gesture, smiling at the boy. He had noticed that his brother had a tendency to forget to sleep, so he figured he may have to help with that in the future. Closing the door gently behind him, careful not to make a sound, Aaron walked down the hallway. It would be awhile before he was able to fall asleep once more, but there are some things you just have to do.

 

\---

 

The next morning Alex awoke to the sound of a steady knock on his door. He groaned, his hand falling on his face as he rubbed his eyes, trying to ease the tiredness away. After a few seconds the door to the room opened slowly, the bright light from the hallway landing on Alexander’s eyes. He screeched quietly, earning a grin from the person standing by his door. 

“Hey, son?” George spoke gently, shutting the door behind him. Al scrambled to move so that he was facing his foster father, making sure to pull his blanket over his chest. 

“Yeah?” He sputtered as Mr. Washington walked over to his bed. The man sat on the edge near the frame, and Alex began preparing to be lectured. He retreated a bit further under his blanket, looking away from George. Once he was settled, Mr. Washington started to speak.

“I think it’s about time you email your teachers,” He said, and Alexander looked at him puzzled. The man didn’t scold him like his social worker would have and encouraged him to email his teachers? That was new. Though he could not recall what he would need to compose a message about. 

“Excuse me, sir, but what exactly about?” Alex slurred, still absent minded from sleep. George looked at him, as if surprised that the boy had forgotten something very important. 

“Do you not email your teachers about your name?” He asked, genuinely confused, “Aaron did yesterday, and I thought you may be interested in doing so, since you were so adamant about being addressed properly,” Alexander’s mouth fell open into an ‘o’. So his foster father was actually encouraging him to out himself to his teachers ? That was a first

“Oh, yeah! I’ve never done that before because I’ve never lived with someone accepting around the beginning of the school year, but thanks,” He rambled, careful not to move too much. He wouldn’t want his blanket rolling down. Mr. Washington’s face warped into a mixture of pity and disgust as he stood up, looking towards Alex’s closet.

“If you ever want to talk about it, Martha and I are here for you, son,” He responded, eyes fleeting, as if he was a little embarrassed, “We’ve all been there,” With that he made his way towards the door, only stopping when he was about to leave.

“Son?” He said, not turning around to face Al out of courtesy for the boy, who had started to get off the bed when his foster father had turned away. 

“Yes, sir?”

“If you want another binder or two before school begins, let us know before the end of the week,” With that George was out the door, leaving Alex to question what he had said. The boy was so glad that this family was accepting enough to get him another binder. He only had one as it is because he had convinced his social worker that it would keep him from being harassed, which was especially hard because he was pretty flat chested as it is. And on top of that it was a pretty crappy binder in the first place, with snaps on the side. It was almost as bad as the corset his father made him wear when he was younger. He shook his head, reassuring himself that nothing could be as bad as that.

In addition to that, one thing that stood out to Alexander was the statement about how they had ‘all been there’. This is the first time he’s lived in a household with another openly LGBT person, but the ‘all’ could mean that more than just Aaron fits into that category. Were his parents bi or pan? I mean, they couldn’t be gay because they obviously are in love with each other, but there’s more to LGBT than just homosexuals. Alex should know, he is pretty bi himself. 

Maybe if his parents were not straight, and his brother is not straight, then he’d finally be able to be himself. Alexander felt a smile creeping onto his face as he moved to get ready for his day.

 

\---

 

“Dah dah dah, my name is Alexander and I’m in your class this semester,” Alex enunciated as he typed, carefully typing as to not make an embarrassing mistake, “My pronouns are he, him, his, addressing me correctly will help me focus in your class, blah blah blah and done,” 

Al shifted so he was sitting up straight, leaning forward on the chair so he could see the words on the screen better. He began reading his email outloud to himself to insure he would not miss any mistakes he may have made. 

“Dear Mrs. Brown, my name is Alexander Hamilton, but I am in the system as,” He mumbled, letting his voice fade out when he was about to speak his given name, “I am in your 2nd block AP Statistics class. I am emailing you to inform you of something very important in relation to my name and pronouns,” As Alex continued reading his piece, he started to zone out. This caused him to not notice that his brother Aaron had walked into the room, a small laptop in his hands, until the boy’s fingertips came to rest on his shoulder. 

“Hey,” Aaron started, only to be stopped by Alexander’s sudden jump. Once he had calmed down, curling his hands around the armrests to ground him, Al turned around on the swivel chair. He looked at his foster sibling, eyes wild with anxiety.

“Jeez Burr, no need to scare me,” He tried to joke, still obviously shaking from the surprise, “What’s up?”

“Are you writing your letter for your teachers?” Aaron asked, leaning down to look at the application open on his computer. Alex smiled, nodding mostly to himself.

“Yep! I’m currently on my last teacher. I saved Mrs. Brown for my last email because she looks pretty scary,” His brother laughed, looking away from the device. 

“I would make a joke about you being paranoid, but I did the same thing,” Burr said. Alexander did not doubt that for one second. He seemed like the type of person to start with the nicest teacher and make his way down.

Aaron offered to compare his email with Al’s, handing the small laptop to the seated boy. Alex glanced over the piece, eyebrows furrowing at some of the language.

“Why does your email sound so… what’s the word... passive?” He questioned, moving his hand to his chin. Aaron began tapping his foot on the floor, and Alexander assumed it was to help get rid of the excess nerves.

“You think my email is passive? I don’t think you can be passive when asking for accommodations,” His brother supplied, grabbing his computer to take it back from Alex. The boy shrugged.

“Well somehow you manage to do it. You’re just asking without providing any reasoning! No one is going to take you seriously if you don’t present a case on why you should be addressed properly,” He spoke, finger out as if he was lecturing Aaron, “Try adding that it would make you more comfortable in the class or something. I told my teachers that it would help me focus and be less out of place,” 

His brother looked between him and his laptop, as if thinking about the advice he was given. After a few seconds the boy typed something else and clicked send. Alex smiled at him as Aaron walked away.

“Alright, thanks,” He said, soon vanishing into the next room.

Once Aaron was out of sight Alexander turned back to the family computer, opting to simply send the email. He figured his brother would have said something if he had made a horrible mistake. He let out a sigh of relief, moving to shutdown the laptop. It was getting late, and although he would not usually go to bed so easily he decided that it would be best to attempt it. For all he knows the Washington’s could be planning something big for the weeks leading up to school. 

 

\---

 

Alex wasn’t entirely correct about the Washington’s planning something big; it was Mr. Paine, one of his foster parent’s friends, who was doing the planning. 

The boy had gotten emails back from his teachers the following day. They were overwhelmingly positive, some even welcoming him to the new school. He felt like a weight had been taken off his shoulders and had moved to the office to thank his foster father when George had dropped the news. Mr. Paine, as his dad had described him, was an eccentric man who had assisted George in his moving process when he first started working at Columbia. He was also the man that had helped George gather up the courage to ask Martha out.

After being told the story of how Mr. Paine had gotten his foster parents together Alexander was excited to meet him. Mr. Washington assured him that he would soon enough, because Mr. Paine hosted a “welcome back to school” party every year for the teachers and their families. Alex was instantly excited. He hadn’t gotten to go to a lot of parties in his past, especially not ones which were family oriented. The only parties he had been too were a few birthday parties when he was in elementary school.

The day of the party the Washington’s decided that it would be a good idea to go and buy the family some new formal clothes, because apparently that was how this family did things. Alexander was not complaining, considering he did not have any fancy clothing to speak of, but it was kind of odd that they were getting new clothing for all of them. He had seen Aaron’s closet, and the boy had like 30 neckties and a dress shirt in almost every color. That probably explained why his brother looked so horrified when he had mentioned that he did not own a single tie. 

A long shopping trip later Alexander had a nice outfit for the party, Aaron had a light purple dress shirt (he had gotten very excited when he had found a color that he did not yet have, so George just HAD to buy it for him), Martha had a new skirt as well as a new suit, and George had a new tie with a blackboard and an apple on it. The quartet made a brief stop at the house to change into their eerily matching outfits and took off, Mrs. Washington determined to make it to the party on time if not early.

On their way they picked up Lafayette, who was waiting for them outside what must have been their parent’s house. Al asked George why they were bringing him along, but the man just shrugged, saying that they always did. Laf rushed up to the car, smiling as they got in, pushing Alex further into the car. 

“Hey, Alex!” They grinned, and Alexander felt his face flush. He would swear that their face had sparkled when they smiled. It didn’t help that they were currently rocking a not so standard suit with a cute pair of flats. Not to mention that their eyeliner could stab him if they weren’t too careful.

“Uh, hi,” He spoke quietly, too awkward to speak up. Lafayette’s smile did not fade, and they began making friendly conversation. Alex may not have been too receptive at the moment, but he still appreciated their effort.

About twenty minutes passed before the car pulled into a neighborhood with some nice upper class houses. At first Alexander was wondering why Mr. Paine would be living so far away from the college he worked at, but when he saw the buildings on the block he changed his mind. If the appearance was anything to go by they were more spacious that the one the Washington family lived in. He must have been gaping because Laf giggled a little, leaning towards him to make a comment.  

“I know right? The buildings are huge here,” Lafayette whispered, sending shivers down Al’s spine, “You get used to it,” Alex nodded to himself at that, watching past Laf’s head as the car drove down the large road. Soon they pulled up to a house that looked exactly like all of the other buildings in the neighborhood, aside from the balloons hanging from the mailbox. Mr. Washington pulling up along the side of the road, parking by the curb. Once the car was stopped the group got out of the vehicle, Alexander stopping for a second to look at the house before being ushered forward by Laf. 

They grabbed his hand, walking forward so that the duo would keep up with the rest of the family. Alex looked between his companion and their intertwined hands, a confused look on his face. Was it normal for friends to hold hands? Or was this just a Lafayette thing? He felt kind of embarrassed, though he did not know why. Maybe he wasn’t used to holding hands with people?  
Martha rung the bell when they reached the door, and the group heard a loud crash from behind the door. George gave the kids a concerned look, looking in through the hole in the wood of the door.

“Thomas?” He shouted, resulting in some mumbled words from the other side of the wooden surface. After a few seconds the door was flung open, revealing a man which Alexander assumed was Mr. Paine. He was holding an ice pack to his head and looked surprisingly messy despite his mostly formal attire. The man glanced between the three teenagers, a confused look crossing his face when he saw Alex, before letting a huge grin settle on his gentle features.

“George! It’s great to see you!” Mr. Paine exclaimed, moving to give Mr. Washington a half hug, “And Martha! Brought the kids as always, I see! And who is this little guy?” He bent down a little,  looking at Alexander as if he was a little kid. Al couldn’t help but think that this man was not as much of an asshole as he could be, but he still made him nervous.

“Alex, Alexander Hamilton. Nice to meet you, sir,” He introduced himself, loosening his hand from Lafayette’s so he can shake the older man’s hand. Mr. Paine’s face must have lit up at the boy’s words.

“So polite! I’m Mr. Paine, it’s very nice to meet you, Alexander,” With that the man stepped out of the way, inviting the family inside with a wave of his hand, “Come on in! The party isn’t exactly started yet, but we can catch up before the rest of the guest get here,” As the group filed inside Alex reached for Laf’s hand, earning a smile from them as they stepped up into the house.

George and Mr. Paine started talking to each other rapidly, the shorter man doing most of the talking. Mr. Washington was not exactly a reserved person, as Alex had observed, but his companion was definitely more outgoing. By the time the group had reached the living room Thomas, as George had called him, had been through roughly four conversation topics. Alexander watched surprisingly silently, still thrown off from Lafayette holding his hand. Before he knew it Mr. Paine had stopped, turning around with a smile on his face. 

“So Laf, when’d you get a boyfriend?” He asked. A few seconds of confused silence Lafayette started giggling. Soon enough they were covering their face with their hand, holding back laughing sobs. Alexander blushed, hurrying to explain the situation.

“Sir, they aren’t my date mate. I actually just met them a little bit ago,” He spoke, his cheeks flushed red from embarrassment, “I’m the Washington’s foster child, sir,” At the news Mr. Paine looked between George and Alex, a rush of realization overcoming his face.

“Ah, well that explains it. Still not completely convinced that you don’t like Laf though,” He joked, winking. Alexander looked to the floor, not wanting to look at his friend who was beside him. He didn’t think that he liked them, but he could see why the man had thought that they were dating. I mean, they were literally right up against each other, as he noted, feeling their sleeve brush up against his own. The adults drifted towards the kitchen, the Washington couple wanting to help out their old friend. Once they were gone Al looked up, only to see Lafayette smiling at him.

“He’s still not convinced, sir,” They taunted, though their tone seemed playful, “that you are not really gay for me,” Aaron started laughing as that, but Alex could only nervously chuckle. At least he knew that Laf was alright with being called gay when with a guy. Wait, why would he need that information?

“Well, if this were a fanfiction I’d say that we should fake it until we inevitably fall in love, but that would be kind of weird,” Alexander began rambling to cover up his embarrassment. It was a terrible nervous habit, he knew that, but it was not like he could help it. Lafayette gave him a slightly confused look, still not letting go of his hand.

“Uh oh, you aren’t straight, are you?” They stated sarcastically, rolling their eyes to add to the fact. Al couldn’t help but scoff.

“As if! I’m about as bi as they come!” He continued. After a few seconds he started up again, unable to contain his curiosity, “And you?”

“I don’t know yet. Probably pan,” Laf shrugged. 

“Good to know,”

Soon the conversation shifted from their sexuality to other topics. Aaron talked about Mr. Paine and his history with their foster dad, and Lafayette told stories of previous parties they had been invited to in this house. By the time the other guests started arriving Alex knew how George had gotten with Martha in a decent amount of detail and that Laf was basically part of the family. 

The trio moved outside once the livingroom started getting too crowded. Being late august, it was a little too warm for most people’s liking, but Alexander didn’t mind it. The only problem was his binder, which made him pretty sweaty. That reminded him that he should probably talk to Mr. Washington and make sure that he had ordered him one or two more of them. He really needed a new one.

Once they were all outside Aaron started walking towards a small wooden shed in the corner of the yard by the fence. Alex looked at his foster brother, a confused look present on his face.  
“Where are we going?” He asked, looking to Laf. They shrugged, leaving it up to Aaron what the answer was. When they were but a few feet from the shed the boy pointed.

“Behind there,” He begun, “Is the quietest place in the whole party. That is where we can sit and chat. Plus there is a table with some chairs so we aren’t on the ground,” Alexander nodded in understanding at that. He knew Aaron wasn’t the social type, so he decided to just go with it.

As they rounded the corner of the structure Alex got a good look at the place they were going to be seated for the rest of the party. It was shaded, with a picnic table that had enough seats for at the most six people. He assumed it was for when there weren’t enough chairs for people otherwise. 

After taking the scenery the boy’s eyes landed on something strange. There was a face poking out from underneath the table. Alexander gripped on to Lafayette’s hand harder.

“Do you meet any other friends back here?” He asked, not taking his eyes off the person. They must have been smaller than him to fit under the table, though not extraordinarily small, seeing as their knees were pulled up to their chest. They must have noticed that he was looking at them because their eyes widened and they attempted to sink further into their hoodie. They must have been very hot. 

“No, why do you,” Laf begun, before noticing the person below the table, “Uh, hi?” At that moment the person fell sideways, closing their eyes. The trio was right next to the table now.

“Please don’t hurt me,” They exclaimed, though it was muffled by the thick fabric of their hoodie. Alex, being the smallest of the group, lowered himself to his knees and started moving towards the kid, careful not to frighten them any further.

“Hey, don’t worry. We aren’t going to hurt you,” He spoke gently, stopping in his place near their feet. The stranger quickly opened their eyes, looking at Alex before letting their eyes flick between the two people standing behind him. 

“How am I sure you aren’t lying?” They asked, their eyes narrowing as they sat up. Alexander pondered this for a few seconds. They had a point, there was no way to know that he wasn’t lying. Well, aside from being him. He shrugged, then held out a hand for the kid. 

“Alexander Hamilton, he, him, his pronouns,” He introduced himself, then pointed at his companions with the hand which he was not hoping would be shaken, “That’s Aaron, he, him, his pronouns for him as well, and that’s Lafayette. They like they, them, their pronouns,” The stranger looked at Alex warily, before accepting the handshake.

“James, James Madison,” They spoke, “My pronouns are he, him, his,”  Alexander smiled at the kid’s answer.

“Well, James, It’s very nice to meet you. Now how about you get out from under the table so we can talk,” James glanced at each of his companions one last time before sliding out from underneath the cover. Once he was out he stood up, standing beside Al, who noticed that he was a little shorter than him. 

“So why were you under there?” Aaron asked, and James froze up. After a few seconds of hesitation the boy started on a story about how he had grown up around these people and thus they knew him as someone he was not. Alex nodded, understanding where James was coming from, and when the kid said that he was trans Al knew why.

“Ah, that makes sense,”

Once the background was finished, Alexander invited James to join their little group. They ended up talking about a variety of things to get to know him before Mr. Washington came out back to get the group.

“Hey kids, it’s about time we go,” George spoke, his head peaking around the edge of the shed, “Oh, hi James,” James looked down, speaking a quiet response. The trio slowly stood up, Alexander turning to the boy which they kept company all this time.

“Hey, can I have your phone number? That way we can keep in touch,” James nodded quickly, pulling out his phone to find the sequence of digits. When they completed the exchange Al waved to his new friend, walking over to where his foster dad was. Alexander grabbed Lafayette’s hand as they started walking back to the house to find Martha.

He would say that this party was a success, and definitely the most fun he had at a celebration in a long time.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gotta say, this is the most "me" chapter in this story thus far. It is mostly filler, but there are a few things that will be coming back later (cough cough email cough cough james). 
> 
> I'll probably end up with 2 more chapters until college, or more like 1 1/2. We need to get through the first day of school, homecoming, 'dates' with Lafayette, a Crisis(tm), the obligatory thanksgiving and christmas scenes (because it's near christmas, duh), birthdays, another Crisis(tm), prom, and graduation. Why do we have so much filler left? Because I like to go overboard on things. And I'm a total sucker for the cute stuff. But if you want me to like, write out a long version of homecoming and/or prom (the ones which will probably be long) and just post it separately instead of including it in this story let me know! If y'all want it contained that's fine, but if you'd prefer me just getting to the point then so be it. It's not like I've started the chapter yet anyway...
> 
> I have so many other ideas for stories that I may end up posting a "short" fic soon, so be on the lookout for that,
> 
> I may not have finished this for nano, but I did try. I'm not dropping it though, I promise! (I actually moved this story over to the youth site, because not only am I a Youth(tm) but I also hate losing so everyone's a winner) I'm still pretty proud that I managed to get this far despite my depressive episode halfway through this month, haha...
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed this! I made it a bit longer because I haven't posted in awhile. It's like an apology. 1k words worth of an apology. Nice.


End file.
